This paper traces the activities of the Philippine Communist Party and its guerrilla arm, the New People's Army. The party grew to its present strength of some 30,000 members during the later years of the Marcos administration by capitalizing on his unpopularity and emphasizing traditional protracted revolutionary warfare. During the 1970s, the guerrillas established fronts throughout the country, and the party exploited local socioeconomic and political issues to build a base of support. During the 1980s they expanded their activities to include urban violence, strikes, and assassinations to foment revolutionary unrest, while portraying themselves as nationalists and creating structures to insinuate themselves into national politics. Their power was well consolidated by the end of the Marcos regime, although they made a major tactical error by boycotting Marcos's snap presidential election in 1986. During the present administration, the party has emphasized political action, but a switch back to revolutionary violence could occur if conditions again become ripe.
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